Search results: Light Choice

Review: In 1973, and with the U-Roy-inspired 'deejay style' reggae craze at its height, toasters Dennis 'Alcapone' Smith and Delroy Petgrave AKA Lizzy joined forces with engineer Byron Smith to produce an album of brand-new songs based on Treasure Isle's vast archive of Duke Reid rocksteady and early roots reggae 'riddims'. Soul To Soul: DJ's Choice is undoubtedly a landmark reggae album, though this is the first time it's been available on CD. In true Doctor Bird style, this edition of the album has been expanded considerably, with the original set's 12 tracks being joined by 16 further Alcapone and Lizzy tracks from the Treasure Isle catalogue, including plenty of cuts that have never previously been released digitally and a wealth of dub style 'versions' from the flipsides of Jamaican singles.

Review: Continuing the celebration of hip-hop's 50th anniversary, Music on Vinyl is releasing the second instalment of 'Hip Hop Collected', turning the focus away from the first 20 year and moving the lens towards the late 90s and early 2000s - the peak of abstract and gangsta rap. Featuring timeless classics like N.W.A's 'Straight Outta Compton', Dr Dre's Jay-Z-ghostwritten track 'Still D.R.E' and Bahamadia's 'Uknowhowwedo' to name a few. The aim of the compilation is not to prove as an exhaustive list by any means (namely the mysterious absence of Queen Latifah, Missy Elliot and Public Enemy), but to serve as a comprehensive memorial to a genre that changed the world. Printed on super limited green and white 180gm audiophile vinyl, the package comes with an insert with liner notes.

Review: Emmy award winning composer Ramin Djawadi has an endless slew of projects under his name such as Clash of the Titans, Pacific Rim, Iron Man as well as television series including Prison Break and Westworld. That name nowadays is most synonymous, however, with the iconic Game Of Thrones score, which makes his work on the House Of The Dragon prequel series a no-brainer. Bombastic, modern classical orchestrations utilising era-specific folk instrumentation, compositionally reflecting the geographies of fictitious nations, it's all here at the remarkably grandiose standard set by its predecessor.

Review: Now's ongoing Yearbook series has reached 1973, a 12-month period in which saw an Oil Crisis, the opening of the World Trade Center in New York, and the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. Musically, as the four-disc set proves, pop was being pulled in different directions, with new stars emerging (David Bowie, Elton John, Roxy Music, David Essex and various members of the Osmond family) former 'Fabs' settling into their new solo careers (John Lennon, Paul Wings), Glam rock increasing in popularity (Mud, Sweet, Wizzard, T-Rex, Slade), and soul beginning to evolve into disco (the Spinners, Michael Jackson, the O'Jays, Diana Ross, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes). Throw in a few massive hits from megastars (Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Elvis Presley), and you have an on-point pop summary of 1973.